Pokemon Go postpones multiple Safari Zone events due to coronavirus concerns

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Liverpool and Philadelphia join the previously postponed St. Louis event

(Image credit: Niantic)

Pokemon Go Safari Zone events for St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Liverpool have all been postponed due to concerns and complications related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Niantic announced today. 

Niantic confirmed that the St.Louis Safari Zone would be postponed last week, and while it did say other events were still planned, it also suggested that they might be affected as well. Sadly, with today's news, all upcoming Safari Zone events have been postponed. The St. Louis Safari Zone was scheduled for March 27 - 29, while the Liverpool and Philadelphia events were planned for April 17 - 19 and May 8 - 10 respectively. 

If you've already purchased a ticket to any of these Safari Zone events, you can refund it through Niantic's in-app support. You have until 11:59pm PT on Wednesday, March 25 to get a refund for St. Louis; the same time on April 15 to refund Liverpool; and the same time on May 6 to refund Philadelphia. 

If you do decide to hold onto your ticket, you'll get access to Safari Zone Pokemon Encounters and Special Research during the scheduled hours for that Safari Zone. In other words, you'll be able to experience as much of the Safari Zone as possible from the comfort and safety of your home.

With events as far out as May now being postponed, it's likely that Pokemon Go will be restricted by the coronavirus for several months to come. In a newly updated FAQ, Niantic said that "given the ever-changing landscape and varying degrees of impact from location to location, there is no one-size-fits-all solution across our live events." The fate of Pokemon Go Community Day activities, for instance, is very much up in the air. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.